French Valentine

I told Gene we couldn't officially move back to the States until we used the box of ski gear he made us move over here 2 years ago. Accepting the challenge, he planned a fabulous long weekend to Chamonix, France - which was only a short flight and van ride away. Seeing how there's NO mountains in Holland, we were stunned at the beauty of the Alps ... snow everywhere, and my favorite part .... sun . Excellent ski (snowboard for Gene) conditions. We even went up on this insane gondilla ride to Aiguille de Midi, (learned it's the world's highest vertical ascent by gondola - which explains why I nearly lost my breakfast), but the views were worth it. Click here for some pics.

Ghent or Gent...still unclear

We were in need of some Belgium treats, so we trained it 2 hours to Ghent for an overnight. Loved it so much already booked the same hotel for a return trip in July. What's not to love about old streets, Fisher Price style ancient castles, and mouth watering food at every corner. We bought the best waffle in the world for a euro from a street vendor who doesn't realize what a huge thing he's onto ... he could easily crush Leggo my Eggos. Here's some pics.